


Thanksgiving Traditions

by OnceUponACaskett



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex likes wine, F/F, Thanksgiving through the years, and drinks it all the time during the holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 02:45:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8648737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceUponACaskett/pseuds/OnceUponACaskett
Summary: The four times Alex desperately drank wine during Thanksgiving because she's a Big Gay Disaster and the one time she didn't need it





	

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea from a tumblr post by generalastras:
> 
> "i hope supergirl runs for years and every thanksgiving we have alex drinking wine desperately. 2017 it’s because she’s telling eliza that she and maggie are engaged, 2018 it’s because maggie’s pregnant etc…"

_One_

She breaks out the wine as they’re setting the table. Pouring herself a glass, Alex chugs it down desperately in hopes that the alcohol will calm her fraying nerves. What else is she supposed to do other than drink when she’s about to tell her mother that she’s been lying about the past several years of her life? But as she refills her glass—only to drain it once more—she knows that this is a conversation that’s been long overdue. Eliza knows Kara is now Supergirl so it’s time she knows Alex isn’t really just a science lab rat.

Winn carried the turkey over to the table and set it down on the center as Kara managed to juggled a few other dishes of food. Eliza carried the large bowl of mashed potatoes and the gravy boat while Alex followed behind, the wine clutched tightly in her hand.

As everyone sat down, Alex could feel the effects of the wine starting to hit. The careful restraint and filter she’d built up over the years were quickly flying out the window. She zoned out, only giving Kara a snippy “Nope” when asked if she would share what she was thankful for. Some part of her felt bad because none of this was really her sister’s fault, but the guilt was overshadowed as she heard Winn talking to her mother.

When she heard her name mentioned, she snapped out of the brooding trance she was in and interrupted their conversation, hoping that what she was about to tell her mom wouldn’t completely backfire and blow up in her face.

…She was wrong.

_________________________

_Two_

It had been on her mind for the past several days; a constant presence that just wouldn’t go away day or night. Should she tell her mother about her newfound sexuality?

The answer to that question came to her easily: yes, she should. But when? The only person who knew—other than Maggie—was her sister. Most of her friends—meaning James and Winn—were gathering at Kara’s apartment for Thanksgiving anyway in addition to her mom, so Alex figured why not tell them all then and kill a few birds with one stone?

She’d been keyed up all day and was anxiously awaiting dinnertime when Kara would make them do that silly tradition of saying what they’re all thankful for. That was her time. That was when she’d tell them.

But for the time being while she sat back and watched her mother and sister bustle about the kitchen (Alex didn’t have a cooking bone in her body) she cracked open the wine and began to make a sizeable dent in the bottle. If she thought last year was bad, then she _really_ needed some liquid courage for her secret reveal this year.

She wasn’t exactly _nervous_ per se; it was just the anticipation was getting to her and if she didn’t drink alcohol soon, she’d probably spill the beans right there in the kitchen. So she kept her mouth glued to the edge of her wine glass in order to restrain herself from talking.

They all finally made their way to the table where two extra chairs had been added for James and Mon-El to sit in. Everyone but Kara took a seat as she explained the Danvers family tradition to the rest of the group.

Alex took one last huge gulp of her wine and was standing from her seat by the time her sister had taken hers. James and Mon-El had looked like they’d wanted to go first, but both settled back down in their chairs as the spotlight turned on Alex.

“There are just so many things that I’m thankful for,” she began, smiling so hard her cheeks were hurting. “And I’m honestly-I-I don’t think I’ve ever really felt more like myself than right now. And there’s a reason for it.” She saw her mom looking intently at her with curiosity written her face while Kara simply looked on with an encouraging expression having picked up on what Alex was about to say. “And that reason is…I’m gay!”

Alex remembered how hard it had been to utter those very words mere weeks ago. She’d spent a lot of time in front of her mirror, staring at herself as she took deep breaths and tried to force them to come out of her mouth. At first, it had sounded so strange to her. It was one thing to realize something like that, but it was an entirely other thing to say it out loud. Now, though, she could say it with a smile on her face and pride in her voice.

“I’ve finally figured out who I am. There was always something missing, I just never knew what it was until now.” She her eyes locked onto her mom who was sitting with an unreadable expression. As the seconds ticked by, Alex could feel the confidence that the alcohol had given her begin to dissipate so she reached for the open bottle, trying to conceal how much her hands were shaking.

She didn’t hear the sound of Eliza’s chair quietly scraping across the floor as the older woman stood up so Alex was startled when a hand came into her field of vision to take the wine from her and set it back on the table.

“Alex, look at me,” her mom told her.

When she did, she saw her smiling softly.

“Do you know what I’m thankful for? I’m thankful for my two beautiful, brilliant daughters, both of whom fight to protect this city and the world every day. And I’m thankful that I get to love you and support you through thick and thin, no matter what. I’m so happy you’ve finally discovered this part of yourself, Alex, and I’m proud of you for telling me.”

As Alex let her mom pull her in for a hug, she had to fight back tears of relief. For a minute there, she was actually concerned that her news wasn’t going to be taken well.

“Well damn, Alex. That’s gonna be a tough one to follow,” Winn said, grinning from ear to ear as everyone else laughed.

_________________________

_Three_

“Ease up on the wine there, would ya, Danvers?” Maggie suggested as she and Alex sat on Kara’s couch. It was Maggie’s first Thanksgiving with the Danvers’ family and friends and Alex was already working on her third glass of wine. “You’re gonna be knocked on your ass before dinner’s ready if you don’t quit it and I’m certainly not carrying your drunk self home tonight.”

“Sorry,” Alex said guiltily.

“You nervous or something?”

“No, no I…okay maybe a little.”

“You know we don’t have to tell your mom about us tonight, if you don’t want to.”

Alex shook her head, glad her mom and Kara had run out to the store to grab an item they’d forgotten, leaving the two of them alone for a little while. “No, Maggie, no, believe me I want to. And we’re going to. We’ve been dating for nearly five months now, I think it’s time.”

“So what’s with you practically chugging wine from the bottle then?” her girlfriend wanted to know.

Alex chuckled. “It’s kind of just something I do out of habit whenever mom comes over. I’ve gotten a little bit better about it, but sometimes—especially during holidays—I slip up.”

Maggie hummed in acknowledgment. “I get it. Family gatherings are hell for me too whenever I visit home, which you know is hardly ever.”

Alex didn’t know if it was the wine that was making Maggie look extra beautiful to her or if she was just hopelessly in love with the woman, but her gaze flicked down to Maggie’s lips before she leaned in and kissed her. She urged Maggie to lay on her back and straddled her lap the detective’s hands reached around to grabbed a hold of Alex’s ass.

She was so lost in the feel of Maggie’s tongue in her mouth and hands firmly squeezing her ass, that she didn’t hear the front door opening and two people walking in. She did, however, hear the gasp and “oh my god” that followed right after.

Her head shot up and she immediately scrambled to get off of her girlfriend, her face flushing with embarrassment. Her mother had her eyebrows raised and head tilted and…was that _amusement_ in her eyes? Kara, on the other hand, having witnessed this situation too many times before, had her eyes screwed shut, a look of disgust on her features.

“Seriously, guys? That’s like the third time this month,” her sister complained.

“Maybe you should learn to knock,” Alex said.

“This is _my_ apartment,” Kara fired right back. “Please at least tell me no clothes came off.”

“It’s okay, Little Danvers, the purity of your couch remains intact,” Maggie laughed.

That was when Eliza decided to add her own input into the discussion. “So, Alex, when you introduced Maggie earlier as your ‘friend,’ I take it that wasn’t the whole truth.”

Alex smiled sheepishly. “Not…exactly.”

“Mhm. Well then let’s start over, shall we?”

Alex didn’t need any more prompting than that. She jolted up from the couch and said, “Uh, Maggie, this is my mom, Dr. Eliza Danvers. Mom, this is my _girlfriend_ , Maggie Sawyer.”

Following Alex’s lead, Maggie stood up and went over to shake the older woman’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s so very nice to meet you too, Maggie. Now, why don’t you come into the kitchen with me and Kara so I can get to know you better before all the others arrive.”

“Sounds great, Dr. Danvers.”

“Maggie, it was ‘Eliza’ before and it’s ‘Eliza’ now.”

“Okay…Eliza.”

Alex watched as Maggie began to follow her mother and sister into the kitchen until the shorter woman turned around and pointed at her. “No more wine for you until dinner, Danvers. Don’t need you passing out before the turkey’s done.”

She smirked and said jokingly. “Yes, Detective Sawyer.” Her eyes strayed down to Maggie’s ass, clad in skinny jeans that hugged her with perfection. Damn, she was a lucky woman.

Looking down at the empty glass in front of her, she bit her lip and figured she could get away with another refill as she quietly poured herself more wine. What was one more glass?

“I saw that, Danvers!”

…Or not.

_________________________

_Four_

And here she was again. Sitting in her sister’s apartment on Thanksgiving with a full—well not so much anymore—wine glass in her hand. Alex sighed and stared at the red liquid. She really needed to cut back. But today would not be that day. Because Alex had to tell her family that she was now engaged.

Honestly, at this point, she should be a pro at announcing things to them on Thanksgiving considering the fact that she’s done it every year. The problem wasn’t necessarily that she was terrified or worried about how they’d react; she’s pretty sure her mom loves Maggie more than she actually loves her. It’s just the usual bout of nervous anticipation that leaves her heart pounding in her chest and her palms sweaty.

Alex Danvers was a badass agent who worked for the DEO and fought aliens ten times her size on a daily basis, yet just the thought of telling her mother news had her shaking like a leaf. Maybe it had something to do with some of her leftover perfectionist personality—always afraid of not being good enough—that she’d been trying to shed ever since she’d met Maggie.

So she downed the glass of wine, exhaling as the comforting warmth spread through her body.

“Hey,” Maggie smiled, plopping onto her lap. She took the wine from Alex’s hand and set it to the side. “You don’t need that,” she lightly scolded. “They’re gonna be thrilled.”

Alex gazed lovingly at her fiancée and subtly rubbed her thumb over the ring on Maggie’s left hand, which she’d been trying valiantly to hide from sight all day. Alex had originally suggested that she take it off and put it in her pocket until they told everybody, but Maggie had staunchly refused, saying that she was only going to be engaged once and she’d wear Alex’s ring with pride.

Alex thought back to the night before, when she’d proposed. Talk about wanting some liquid courage! But she’d refrained from any alcohol beforehand, wanting to be 100% sober as she asked Maggie to be with her until the end of their days. Alex cried. Maggie cried. They’d had sex and Alex cried some more.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy in my life.”

Maggie kissed her soundly and then whispered, “Just wait until the wedding, _fiancée_.”

" _What?!_ ”

The couple whirled around to see Kara standing by the kitchen sink, a hand covering her gaping mouth.

Oops, they’d forgotten that Kara had the tendency to accidentally listen in on others’ conversations if she spaced out.

Nearly using her super speed, she darted over and grabbed Maggie’s hand, her jaw dropping open at the diamond sitting there. “You’re engaged?!” she squealed, practically jumping up and down.

“Guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh?” Alex said. “At least we don’t have to announce it now at the dinner table now.”

This time, when Alex picked up her glass of wine, it was to clink it against other glasses as their friends and family gave them a toast.

_________________________

_+1_

Alex settled into her seat at the table and casually threw an arm around the back of her wife’s chair. She was stuffed and couldn’t possibly eat another bite. She surveyed the room and the people she called “family” who were finishing up their Thanksgiving meals as well.

She couldn’t help but think about how different the holiday was now when compared to just a few short years ago where it was just her, Kara, her mom, and Winn sitting in an uncomfortably tense room as she prepared to tell Eliza about her actual job at the DEO. Now, though, things had changed.

There were definitely more guests that showed up. First Winn, James, and Mon-El and then their significant others as they began relationships. Then Kara had begun dating Lena Luthor a while back and then a couple other friends were invited until they’d needed two long tables in order to fit everyone.

Alex grinned to herself as a thought crossed her mind. The Danvers Thanksgiving would be gaining one more tiny member this time next year. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught her mother staring at her with an odd expression on her face. Instantly schooling her features, Alex looked in the other direction, confused as to why she was being scrutinized.

Kara then stood up and cleared her throat, gathering everybody’s attention. “Thank you all for coming to what will be the last Danvers Thanksgiving hosted in this apartment. There have been so many good memories made here, but none more so than during the holidays. It’s sad leaving it, but I know I’ll be even happier in my next apartment.”

Alex smiled softly as her sister looked over at Lena, knowing that the CEO had asked Kara to move in with her nearly a week ago. She was elated that Kara had finally found someone to be with.

“Okay, now this is gonna sound lame but just go with it,” Kara continued. “I would like to make a toast: to this damn fine holiday-hosting apartment.”

That earned her a round of laughter as all the guests raised their glasses of wine while Alex and Maggie held up their glasses of water.

“Wait,” Winn called out, forcing everyone to halt. “Get Alex and Maggie some wine. You can’t have a toast without alcohol!”

“Uh, yeah, you can,” she replied, not wanting to give away just yet why neither of them were drinking.

“Be real, Alex, you drink wine like a champ during Thanksgiving, but suddenly this year, you haven’t even so much as sipped it. What gives?”

“I’m just not feeling like alcohol tonight, guys.”

Winn heaved a sigh. “Fine then. What about you Maggie? What’s your excuse?”

“I’m driving home,” was the immediate answer. “Can’t be drinking.”

"That’s never stopped either of you before.”

“Yeah, well it should have,” Maggie fired back.

“Fine. But I just don’t underst—”

“For god’s sake, she’s _pregnant_ Winn!” Alex shouted.

It was so silent, a pin could be heard being dropped on the floor. Finally, Eliza crossed her arms and said smugly, “I knew it.”

Alex turned to look at her with astonishment. “What do you mean? How’d you know?”

Her mother shrugged. “The no alcohol was a dead giveaway, honey. Both you and Maggie can drink enough to kill an Irishman and then suddenly you show up at Thanksgiving—the holiday you, personally, tend to drink the most on—and neither of you so much as _touch_ the wine bottle? I figured one of you had to be pregnant.”

The grin on Eliza’s face had grown with each word. She stood up, arms outstretched and went over to her daughter. “Congratulations, Alex!”

That seemed to snap everyone else out of their stupor and Kara was the first to rush over to her sister-in-law and give her a big hug, but one that wasn’t too tight.

“Hold on. If Maggie’s the one pregnant, then why aren’t you allowed to drink, Alex?” Lena asked in confusion.

“We made a deal that as long as I wasn’t allowed to have alcohol, she couldn’t either,” Maggie told her. “She’s gotta suffer at least _some_ of this same as me.”

After she pulled away from Maggie, Kara ran back to her seat and grabbed her wine glass, catching everyone’s attention once again. “Alright, people, _this_ is something that definitely deserves a toast.” She paused as her guests moved to retrieve their own glasses. “To new beginnings. May we all meet next year in a bigger apartment where we can introduce Baby Sawyer-Danvers to Thanksgiving.”

“Hear, hear!” James called out as they all drank.

Alex wrapped an arm around Maggie and pulled her into her side, resting her head against her wife’s. “I love Thanksgiving,” she murmured in her ear.

“Just wait until we have a screaming infant to take care of during it,” Maggie said, her eyes dancing with joy.

Alex couldn’t fight back the smile on her face. “Can’t wait.”


End file.
